Coronavirus News
Wolfgang Puck restaurant at Dallas' Reunion Tower gone for good
In what is easily one of the most high-profile concepts to be felled by the coronavirus, the downtown Dallas restaurant from celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck has closed.
According to a release, Five Sixty By Wolfgang Puck, the upscale Asian restaurant that sits atop Reunion Tower, is closing not just for the duration of the pandemic, but permanently.
A release says that, "with the closure of Reunion Tower due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it has been decided that Five Sixty restaurant will remain closed to undergo scheduled improvements. Given this extended closure, in combination with the unknown timeline due to the Coronavirus, Five Sixty by Wolfgang Puck will not reopen."
In a statement, chef/owner Wolfgang Puck says, "I am very proud of the dining experience we created at Five Sixty and the talented team who have worked so hard for us over these past 11 years. We are grateful to our loyal clients and to the Dallas community for their support."
Five Sixty opened in early 2009 in the city's most distinctive dining room, inside the landmark tower encased in flickering lights. The dining room had always been a special occasion place, but having famed L.A. chef Wolfgang Puck in Dallas was a coup.
It was his first restaurant in Dallas, but he was no stranger in town, having done consulting in the 80's for the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek and the Crescent.
He and a partner spent $23 million gutting and redesigning what was previously the fine-dining restaurant Antares. The name "Five Sixty" was chosen in a poll, and came from its placement at 560 feet over Dallas.
The restaurant's Asian-inspired food excelled, with everything from steak to sushi. The chef team included the acclaimed sushi master Hiroyuki "Fuji" Fujino, a native of Japan who'd worked with Puck since the 80's.
A number of excellent chefs worked there during its reign, including Sara Johannes, Jacob Williamson, and Patton Robertson. In addition, they maintained a superb pastry program with dedicated pastry chefs such as Isla Vargas, Erika Lucio, and Lina Biancamano of Top Chef: Just Desserts fame.
The restaurant was also noted for its festive annual celebration of Chinese New Year, with an innovative special menu introduced every year.
The closure is a major loss.
The release says that Reunion Tower's GeO-Deck indoor/outdoor observation deck will reestablish guest visiting hours as soon as permitted by local and state officials.
Puck still maintains a presence in the Dallas market through his Wolfgang Puck Catering operations, including in-home and on-location events and in the following venues: Union Station, Perot Museum of Nature & Science, Nasher Sculpture Center, AT&T Performing Arts Center, and The Theatre at Grand Prairie.
